Methods, devices, and systems for designing and customizing a virtual decor
Methods, devices, and systems for providing a virtual construction and design of an interior wall of a home or office are described. The virtual construction and design provides for various substrate layers as they would exist within the interior wall, interactions between substrate layers, as well as environmental effects. The virtual construction can be implemented on a website so that a user of the website is able to create, select, and purchase customized wallpaper patterns with various color effects, three-dimensional effects, aging effects, texture effects, and environmental effects.
This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/782,483 filed Oct. 12, 2017 which claimed priority to and the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/445,695 filed Jan. 12, 2017, the disclosure of which are both hereby incorporated by this reference herein in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to the field of virtual or digital design and how it relates to manufacturing of physical products. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, devices, and systems for providing a virtual construction and design of a surface; such as decorative or architectural; culminating in the generation of a turnkey file and process finally resulting in a physical product such as wallcovering, upholstery, fabric, tile, canvas. In addition, the present invention relates to the field of virtual or digital design. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, devices, and systems for providing a virtual construction and design of an interior wall of a home or office and its overlying décor such as wallpaper or other decorations. The virtual construction and design provides for various substrate layers as they would exist within the interior wall, interactions between substrate layers, as well as environmental effects. The virtual construction can be implemented on a website so that a user of the website is able to create, select, and purchase customized wallpaper patterns with various color effects, three-dimensional effects, aging effects, texture effects, and the like.
Description of Related ArtPurchasing of wallpaper has traditionally involved going to a store and choosing from various samples of patterns presented to a user, such as in a wallpaper sample book. This provided a very limited selection to the home improvement enthusiast. With the advent of the internet, stores such as The Home Depot have offered a selection of wallpaper patterns through their websites. While selections have improved somewhat since the days when only brick and mortar stores were available, commercial websites have still only provided a limited number of options for patterns and colors with no options for customization of wallpaper patterns, colors, textures, and other effects according to a shopper's preferences. Even further, commercial websites have not offered any options for visualizing the wallpaper as it would appear on various substrates within the home or aging and environmental effects. As such, there is a need in the art for improvements that address these shortcomings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTo this end, embodiments of the invention provide a computer-implemented method for virtual design, such as virtual design of a construction with various substrate layers including wallpaper or other décor.
In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing two or more virtual substrates, where each virtual substrate is represented by an image and has one or more elements which define the appearance of the image, providing one or more interactive effects between elements of two or more of the virtual substrates, and providing one or more environmental and/or aging variables capable of influencing the appearance of the image.
In another embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing two or more cross-layers, and providing one or more interactions between cross-layers and/or providing one or more environmental and/or aging variables which affect one or more of the cross-layers. Each cross-layer represents a substrate in a virtual construction and one of the cross-layers represents wallpaper which includes a pattern.
In another embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing a database of image files representing wallpaper patterns having one or more features and a background, hosting the database on a server, and permitting a connection with the server from one or more client computers. The method further includes the step of displaying on a display of a connected client computer a plurality of wallpaper patterns from the database as well as a graphical user interface. The graphical user interface has features which allow one or more commands initiated at the connected client computer, which commands are operable to select one of the displayed wallpaper patterns and customize its appearance. The appearance of the wallpaper can be customized by selecting and changing colors of individual features and the background of the selected wallpaper pattern, adjusting the size of the features of the selected wallpaper pattern, adjusting the shade of a selected color, introducing aging and/or environmental effects within the selected wallpaper pattern, introducing three-dimensional effects within the selected wallpaper pattern, and/or introducing texture effects within the selected wallpaper pattern. Further, the method can include the step of initiating one or more of the commands at the client computer to select one of the displayed wallpaper patterns and customize its appearance.
Embodiments of the invention also include devices and systems for implementing the methods. These embodiments as well as additional embodiments and their aspects and features will be apparent in the foregoing Detailed Description.
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
The accompanying drawings illustrate certain aspects of embodiments of the present invention, and should not be used to limit the invention. Together with the written description the drawings serve to explain certain principles of the invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to various exemplary embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that the following discussion of exemplary embodiments is not intended as a limitation on the invention. Rather, the following discussion is provided to give the reader a more detailed understanding of certain aspects and features of the invention.
Digital Décor
Embodiments of the invention provide methods, devices, and systems for providing, designing, and customizing a digital or virtual construction and décor. The methods, devices, and systems allow a user to virtually design decorations such as wallpaper, art, pictures, and the like as they would appear in the home or office. In one embodiment, the methods and devices provide for multiple substrate layers that mimic the layering of a physical object such as a wall and its overlying décor. Further, the methods, devices, and systems allow for the implementation of various attributes and features within each substrate as well as interaction between the substrates and various effects of environment and time on the digital décor. The methods, systems, and devices allow for a home improvement enthusiast to design, customize, and purchase customized wallpaper by introducing color effects, interactions with other substrates, environmental effects, aging effects, 3D effects, texture effects, and the like according to their preference.
Turning now to the figures,
Embodiments of the virtual construction may also relate to other components within a home, office, or other construction, such as a floor (e.g. carpet, padding, hardwood floor, etc.) or ceiling (lights, panels, insulation, roofing materials, etc.). Further, embodiments of the virtual construction may include, as an option, various infrastructure such as electrical wiring, plumbing, AC and heating vents, electrical switches and outlets, and so on. Further, the virtual construction is not limited to the number of layers depicted in
In embodiments, each layer has one or more sublayers which provide options for various effects within the layer. Shown in
Further, some layers can be configured or programmed to be susceptible to environmental effects of aging, but not others. For example, sun damage can be programmed to fade the ink and distort the wallpaper, but not affect the concrete. Half-life and environmental effects may be pre-programmed so that a desired effect may be achieved by entering variable numbers which translate to realistic effects as well as interactions between substrate layers. For example, the effects of five years of water damage can be simulated by programming relevant factors such as warping of the plywood layer, cracking of concrete, water damage to stucco, the effect of water-damaged stucco on paint, peeling and disintegration of paper, appearance of mold, etc. In this way, the aging variables for each layer may be adjusted so that they are influenced by a particular cause, time as well as an amount of interaction with the other layers. Environmental or aging variables that may be in introduced may include the effects of substances such as water, sunlight (e.g. UV light), florescent lighting, oxygen, dirt, and smoke. Additionally, the effects of “wear and tear” from interaction with humans, pets, etc. can also be introduced. The environmental or aging variables may be configured or programmed to introduce these effects months or years into the future, including 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 month, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, 9 months, 10 months, 11 months, 1 year, 1.5 years, 2 years, 2.5 years, 3 years, 3.5 years, 4 years, 4.5 years, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, 25 years, 30 years, 40 years, 50 years, 75 years, 100 years, or within any range including or encompassing these values. These environmental and aging effects can be programmed using computer-readable code and can be made selectable according to preference.
In this embodiment, each substrate layer of the cross-construct is referred to as a “cross-layer” as shown in
In embodiments, a cross-layer is defined by its image, its effect on other cross-layers, and the effect of other cross-layers onto it. For example, if a cross-layer material is very thin, like a layer of thin vinyl, it will inherit the texture of the wall that it covers. Thus, in defining the wall cross-layer, one of the properties that can be programmed into the wall cross-layer is texture. The texture property can be defined through real physical 3D capture or simulated by way of its appearance in a photograph. The texture can be applied through “Mix Blend” features such as those in Adobe Illustrator or various other features that are programmed into a set of computer-executable instructions. As a result, the ink and paper cross-layers appear to share the texture property of the underlying wall cross-layer. If the cross-layer is composed of thicker material such as poster paper, the underlying texture will not have an effect on the paper cross-layer or overlying ink cross-layer(s). However, if there is a break or crack in the wall, the paper may be too thin to cover it and the break or crack will show through the paper. In this way, the thickness of the cross-layer materials defines its interaction with the cross-layer materials behind and in front of it. Said another way, a “cross-layer” is defined as a layer or strata in a virtual construction which includes an image plus various factors or elements which define the image.
Turning now to
Thus, each cross-layer has a cross-link to another layer. As used herein, a “cross-link” is link between cross-layers that defines how they interact. For example, as
According to embodiments, the appearance of a cross-layer can first be defined by providing a picture or image of the cross-layer. The picture may be a three-dimensional (3D) picture or a simulation. For example, a true 3D picture may be created by providing a picture of the 3D mask lined up precisely with the picture. If not a true 3D picture, a synthetic or simulated 3D picture can be made using DD3D. Solidity of the layer may be created by providing a picture of the solidity mask lined up precisely with the image. Additional considerations that may be programmed into the appearance of a cross-layer include the physical interaction of the image with other layers, whether the image is translucent, whether the image 3D transmits to adjacent cross-layer(s), whether the image color affects other cross-layers, etc.
In embodiments, interactions between cross-layers and the one or more environmental or aging variables are capable of adjustment according to a quantitative scale. The quantitative scale may be from 0% to 100%, 1 to 10, 1 to 5, or any variation of a quantitative scale. In other embodiments, the interactions between cross-layers and the one or more environmental or aging variables are qualitatively adjustable. For example, they may represent a shape or series of shapes, lines, or patterns that reflect texture, aging, or damage which may be changed according to preference by a designer. Thus, in some embodiments, the interactions between cross-layers and the one or more environmental or aging variables are capable of providing a secondary pattern overlaying a wallpaper pattern, which secondary pattern reflects texture, aging, or damage.
In another embodiment, a cross-layer can be defined as comprising a cross-material, a cross-mask, and a cross-factor. The cross-material is a distinct controllable image construction layer. The cross-mask defines areas of interaction between cross-layers, while a cross-factor defines how to control a cross-mask. Further, a cross-link is the link between cross-layers that defines how they interact. A cross-segment is a VLFF (Very Large File Format) segment and a cross-3D segment is a VLFF segment with retained cross-layer 3D topographic data for each cross-layer (i.e. for 3D printing).
The top of
The top of
At the top of
At the top of
At the top of
The cross-layers can be generated such as that features in images representing real textures and surfaces in final form (e.g. display on a website) are reproduced at a 1:1 scale. Thus, a grain of sand or a light socket can be accurately documented and reproduced on the website at a 1:1 scale. However, in other embodiments, all of the features in the images are reproduced at less than 1:1 (e.g. 1:2, 1:3, 1:4) or greater than 1:1 (2:1, 3:1, 4:1) scale. In other embodiments, some of the features are displayed at a 1:1 scale and some are displayed at a scale that is lesser or greater than a 1:1 scale. For example, a starfish in an image can be displayed on the website larger or smaller than the original starfish.
The virtual substrate construction may be created in Adobe Illustrator (AI) or any other suitable graphic design program or vector image editor, such as Corel Draw X6, SVG-Edit, Inkscape, Serif DrawPlus, Sketch, Affinity Designer, and the like. Features of the virtual substrate construction may be created using various file formats representing images, including vector file formats such as AI, SVG, EPS, PDF, and raster or bitmap file formats including JPG/JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, and TIFF. AI file format is a proprietary file format developed by Adobe Systems for representing single-page vector-based drawings in either the EPS or PDF formats. SVG, or Scale Vector Graphics, is a vector image format which defines a pattern and allows for color control and embeds JPG and PNG. EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) is another Adobe format which is a common vector image format used in the print industry. PDF (Portable Document Format) is another Adobe format which supports vector images. JPG is a raster image format that may be in color or grayscale and is used for overlay effects like 3D. PNG is a raster image format that may be in color or grayscale and allows transparency, such as where solid to transparent overlay is needed such as aging.
The image files (e.g. AI, SVG, JPG, and PNG) may be utilized for publication on the internet on a website. As shown in the foregoing Example, the image files may allow a user to choose basic patterns of wallpaper on the website. The basic patterns can be any patterns used in a wallpaper design, including themes such as art deco, chevron, classic, cultural, digital, featured, geometric, kids, nature, paisley, plant, stripe, and themed. The user may then select and customize various features of a wallpaper patterns through the use of menus such as pulldown menus, as well as checkboxes, scrollbars, and other graphical features. Upon selection of the final design specifications chosen by a user of the website, which may include input of the wall width and height, wallpaper may be printed according to the chosen specifications that reflect the final design image on the web site. The wallpaper may be printed using advanced digital printing technology available in the art such as flatbed printing, UV curing systems, and the like. In addition, 3D effects may be introduced through CNC routing. The wallpaper may be printed on any suitable substrate, including vinyl, paper, vinyl-coated paper, or any other printable substrate.
File Format
Embodiments of the invention allow for control of design features with numeric control. The numerical control allows for selection and choice of qualitative and quantitative features in the design, as well as provides a format for two-dimensional and three-dimensional printing using a CNC (Computer Numeric Control) router. In order to affect design with numeric control it is necessary to utilize a file format with a standardized method of computer control.
Definition: ALPHA-COLOR: MASK; 3D; TEXTURE; AGING . . . the following standard is important to understand. An ALPHA-COLOR is applied as layers using MIX-BLEND tools like overlay; hard-light; multiply; and colorize. This method utilizes 50% luminosity (hexadecimal: 7F7F7F) as NULL EFFECT. Values higher than 50% luminosity indicate a positive in effect; a value of 50% will have no effect; a value lower than 50% luminosity will have a negative effect. Additionally, ALPHA-COLOR can ADD color where at LUMINOSITY 50%; SATURATION=10%; HUE=60° (yellow): the 50% luminosity means there will be neither lightening nor darkening; the 10% saturation and 60° hue means the underlying image will be influenced by a 10% yellow color.
The following describes an embodiment of a process for Image Optimization and Preparation For Color Control:
1. VECTOR COOKIE CUT: Apply “cookie cutter” process. Overlapping SVG VECTOR objects should not overlap. Adobe Illustrator TRIM function should be applied so overlapping objects cut through each other; no object will overlap with another.
2. COLOR CLASS: COPY vectors and visually group the COOKIE CUT art into logical color CLASS groups. [Generally, making the minimum number of color CLASSes will simplify user experience. The inventors have found that 3 color CLASSes are an optimal balance between color options and simplicity]. Optimize SVG to minimize points—improves performance. Each COLOR CLASS is controlled by a single HEXADECIMAL value. A three CLASS SVG will have refer to CLASS2; CLASS3; CLASS4. These classes are layered with Adobe CSS MIX-BLEND; overlay; colorize in order to affect color as desired.
3. SHAPE DETAIL: [alpha-color] Provides nuance and detail to COLOR CLASS by affecting luminance from lighter to darker. Applied with Adobe MIX-BLEND; hardlight; multiply; overlay . . . etc.
4. COLOR CLUSTER: [alpha-color] Provides RELATIVE color variance to COLOR CLASS. This enables the single HEXADECIMAL value to affect a group of colors.
5. 3D RELIEF DATA: When CLASS2=25% gray; CLASS3=60% gray; CLASS4=75% gray values provide the same differentials determining PATTERN OPACITY. The shadow between background CLASS2=25% will be more prominent due to 35% differential to CLASS3=60% and CLASS4=75% at 15% differential appear closer to one another. It is important to note that 0%-25% and 75%-100% are deliberately left empty to allow for exceptions where extreme differential is required.
Provides depth information used for:
1. 3D shading: printed bevel effect.
2. Generate CNC ROUTER G-code for 3 to 5 axis 3D routing.
3. Generate 3D printing data.
4. Influence effects of filters and overlays by fading the effects of these.
6. PATTERN OPACITY: Provides opacity information. Can control the effects onto the pattern of layers such as texture; aging. With CLASS2 set to 25% opacity; CLASS3 set to 60% opacity; CLASS4 set to 75% opacity. This provides a standard where; the apparent background [CLASS2] of a pattern is a very see-through 25% and therefore allows texture to be clearly visible; the apparent next color “up” [CLASS3] is set to 60% which offsets by 35% to CLASS2; the apparent top layer is set to 75% which will be mostly opaque and only 15% different than CLASS3. The 35% difference causes CLASS2 to appear further back than the 15% more closely grouped CLASS3 and CLASS4.
Pattern is now ready with 3 main files:
3C_ASR12345.SVG—allows color control
3C_ASR12345_MASK.PNG—provides opacity of SVG
3C_ASR12345_3D.jpg—provides 3D
3C_ASR12345_VARNISH.jpg—defines shot varnish
3C_ASR12345_WHITE.jpg—defines white layer
3C_ASR12345_ROUTER.rou—defines router bit categories
3C_ASR12345_definessomething.any—container for predetermined factors: e.g. CNC function such as router bit class; manufacturing variable; etc.
File Intake
Computer Systems
Additional embodiments of the invention include a computer system for carrying out the method of this disclosure. The computer system may comprise a processor (CPU) for executing the computer-executable instructions (e.g. software) for carrying out the method of the invention as well as an input/output interface or user interface. The computer system can include a mainframe computer, desktop computer, web server, database server, laptop, tablet, netbook, notebook, personal digital assistant (PDA), gaming console, e-reader, smartphone, or smartwatch, or a set of computers connected through a network including a client-server configuration and one or more database servers. The network may use any suitable network protocol, including IP, UDP, or ICMP, and may be any suitable wired or wireless network including any local area network, wide area network, Internet network, telecommunications network, Wi-Fi enabled network, or Bluetooth enabled network.
Other components of the computer system can include a graphics processing unit (GPU), and non-transitory computer readable storage media such as RAM and a conventional hard drive. Other components of the computer system can include a database stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage media for storing the image files and other information described herein. As used in the context of this specification, a “non-transitory computer-readable medium (or media)” may include any kind of computer memory, including magnetic storage media, optical storage media, nonvolatile memory storage media, and volatile memory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage media include floppy disks, magnetic tape, conventional hard disks, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, BLU-RAY, Flash ROM, memory cards, optical drives, solid state drives, flash drives, erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), non-volatile ROM, and RAM. The non-transitory computer readable media can include a set of computer-executable instructions for providing an operating system as well as a set of computer-executable instructions, or software, for implementing the methods of the invention. Embodiments of the invention include any non-transitory computer readable storage media that comprises the computer-executable instructions, image files, and/or other information described herein.
In one embodiment, the computer system includes a central computer such as a web server connected to the internet that has the computer-executable instructions stored in memory that is operably connected to an internal electronic database which stores the image files and other information described herein. The central computer may perform embodiments of the computer-implemented method of the invention based on input and commands received from remote computers through the internet. The central computer may effectively serve as a server and the remote computers may serve as client computers such that the server-client relationship is established, and the client computers issue commands or receive output from the server over a network. The commands may be issued over a graphical user interface (GUI) and may cause the server to display various patterns and features of wallpaper for selection by a user at a client computer. The client computers may execute commands to the server through any suitable network described herein. The client computer may have an internet browser such as Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Vivaldi, and the like and may access the central computer/server through an internet address that calls up a webpage. The commands may be issued through various features of a GUI displayed on the webpage as described below.
The GUI may be used in conjunction with the computer-readable code of the invention and electronic databases. For example, the graphical user interface may allow a user to select wallpaper patterns and various features of wallpaper as described herein (such as color effects, interactions with other substrates, environmental effects, aging effects, 3D effects, texture effects, and the like), or other input and display patterns of wallpaper or other output of the computer-implemented method of the invention. The graphical user interface may allow a user to perform these tasks through the use of text fields, check boxes, pull-downs, command buttons, drop-down menus, sliders, color palettes and the like. A skilled artisan will appreciate how such graphical features may be implemented for performing the tasks of this disclosure. The GUI may be accessible through a computer connected to the internet. In one embodiment, the GUI is accessible by typing in an internet address through an industry standard web browser and logging into a web page. The user interface may then be operated through a remote computer (client computer) accessing the web page and transmitting commands or receiving output from a server through a network connection.
Such graphical controls and components are reusable class files that are delivered with a programming language. For example, pull-down menus may be implemented in an object-oriented programming language wherein the menu and its options can be defined with program code. Further, some programming languages integrated development environments (IDEs) provide for a menu designer, a graphical tool that allows programmers to develop their own menus and menu options. The menu designers provide a series of statements behind the scenes that a programmer could have created on their own. The menu options may then be associated with an event handler code that ties the option to specific functions. Text fields, check boxes, and command buttons may be implemented similarly through the use of code or graphical tools. A skilled artisan can appreciate that the design of such graphical controls and components is routine in the art.
The computer-executable instructions (also referred to herein as computer-readable code) that may be used to implement the methods of the invention may be programmed in any suitable programming language, including JavaScript, C, C#, C++, Java, Python, Perl, Ruby, Swift, Visual Basic, PHP, and Objective C.
The Example below demonstrates how an embodiment of the invention is implemented through a computer system, and more particularly as it is implemented on an internet website.
EXAMPLEThe following Example shows an embodiment of the invention as it is implemented on a website (i.e. “Digital Décor”) for selecting and purchasing wallpaper. The Example is provided to illustrate the invention and should not be construed as limiting.
The Aging, 3D Effect, and Texture Options can be combined in any manner that the user desires. In
The present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments having various features. In light of the disclosure provided above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the practice of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. One skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosed features may be used singularly, in any combination, or omitted based on the requirements and specifications of a given application or design. When an embodiment refers to “comprising” certain features, it is to be understood that the embodiments can alternatively “consist of” or “consist essentially of” any one or more of the features. Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention.
It is noted in particular that where a range of values is provided in this specification, each value between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included or excluded in the range as well. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary in nature and that variations that do not depart from the essence of the invention fall within the scope of the invention. Further, all of the references cited in this disclosure are each individually incorporated by reference herein in their entireties and as such are intended to provide an efficient way of supplementing the enabling disclosure of this invention as well as provide background detailing the level of ordinary skill in the art.
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for virtual design of wallpaper, comprising: each cross-layer is defined by one or more cross-elements comprising:
- providing a plurality of cross-layers;
- providing one or more interactions between cross-layers and/or providing one or more environmental and/or aging variables which affect one or more of the cross-layers;
- wherein each cross-layer represents a substrate in a virtual construction, and
- a color-class element, which provides a color zone such that elements of the image share a single color value;
- a color-cluster element, which provides for modification of a group of colors such as the group appears in a pattern in the image;
- a 3D element, which provides three-dimensional effects in the image; a solidity element, which defines how the cross-layer would appear if the cross-layer is backlit;
- a transparency element, which defines how much the cross-layer will colorize the cross-layer behind it;
- a reflectivity element, which defines whether the cross-layer is shiny or matte; and/or
- a metallicity element, which defines whether the cross-layer or a portion of the cross-layer is metallic; and
- one of the cross-layers represents wallpaper comprising a pattern.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-layers represent substrates comprising one or more of plywood, concrete, stucco, paint, linen, paper, cardboard, ink mask, ink, varnish, vinyl, adobe, aluminum, steel, copper, other metals, cement, brick, drywall, plaster, gypsum board, paint, wood finish, paint finish, veneer, marble, ceramic, stone, plastics, foam, fabric, glass, fiberglass, or any combination of these.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental variables comprise water, sunlight, florescent lighting, oxygen, dirt, smoke, wear and tear, or any combination of these.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the aging variables comprise a length of time in the future comprising 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 month, 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 8 months, 9 months, 10 months, 11 months, 1 year, 1.5 years, 2 years, 2.5 years, 3 years, 3.5 years, 4 years, 4.5 years, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, 25 years, 30 years, 40 years, 50 years, 75 years, or 100 years.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the appearance of the wallpaper cross-layer includes features of other cross-layers, effects of the environmental variables, or effects of the aging variables.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein each cross-layer is defined by an image stored as one or more vector or raster image files.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactions between cross-layers and the one or more environmental or aging variables are capable of adjustment according to a quantitative scale.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactions between cross-layers and the one or more environmental or aging variables are capable of providing a secondary pattern overlaying the wallpaper pattern, which secondary pattern reflects texture, aging, or damage.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein interactions between cross-layers are programmed to occur through one or more of the cross-elements.
10. A computer-implemented method for virtual design, comprising:
- providing a plurality of virtual substrates, each virtual substrate represented by an image and having one or more elements which define the appearance of the image, wherein the one or more elements comprise:
- a color-class element, which provides a color zone such that all elements of the image share a single color value;
- a color-cluster element, which provides for modification of a group of colors such as the group appears in a pattern in the image;
- a 3D element, which provides three-dimensional effects in the image; a solidity element, which defines how the cross-layer would appear if the cross-layer is backlit;
- a transparency element, which defines how much the cross-layer will colorize the cross-layer behind it;
- a reflectivity element, which defines whether the cross-layer is shiny or matte;
- and/or
- a metallicity element, which defines whether the cross-layer or a portion of the cross-layer is metallic;
- providing one or more interactive effects between elements of two or more of the virtual substrates; and
- providing one or more environmental and/or aging variables capable of influencing the appearance of the image.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the virtual substrates represents wallpaper and the appearance of the wallpaper substrate includes features of other virtual substrates, effects of the environmental variables, or effects of the aging variables.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the image of the wallpaper substrate represents a pattern.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the virtual substrates represent plywood, concrete, stucco, paint, linen, paper, cardboard, ink mask, ink, varnish, vinyl, adobe, aluminum, steel, copper, other metals, cement, brick, drywall, plaster, gypsum board, paint, wood finish, paint finish, veneer, marble, ceramic, stone, plastics, foam, fabric, glass, or fiberglass, or any combination of these.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the image representing each virtual substrate is stored in a vector file having a format comprising AI, EPS, SVG, or PDF.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the image representing each virtual substrate is stored as a raster file having a format comprising JPEG/JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, or TIFF.
| 20010017089 | August 30, 2001 | Fujii |
| 20040162766 | August 19, 2004 | Fujii |
| 20070236671 | October 11, 2007 | Bitetto |
| 20150026016 | January 22, 2015 | DeVeaux |
Type: Grant
Filed: Nov 12, 2019
Date of Patent: Jun 8, 2021
Patent Publication Number: 20200082030
Inventor: Wesley T. Adams (Los Angeles, CA)
Primary Examiner: Wesner Sajous
Application Number: 16/681,064
International Classification: G06F 30/20 (20200101); G06F 30/13 (20200101); G06T 15/04 (20110101); G06T 15/50 (20110101); G06F 113/24 (20200101);
